In Sickness and In Health
by Pharoah'sCat
Summary: Three very brief scenes from Robert and Cora's marriage filtered through one of the most familiar of marriage vows. As ever these are Julian Fellow's characters and setting. He and Carnival and lord knows who else, own them, not me. (In fact, there is dialogue lifted with care, directly from the show in one section.) I hope I have the final date correct within the canon.


In Sickness and In Health

_Author's note: These are not the correct word count to be drabbles…as I understand drabbles. They are just three very quick glimpses of moments in Cora and Robert's marriage. The second one takes dialogue directly from Season 2/episode 8 and then takes it a step or two further. The other 2 are whole cloth inventions._

1917

Robert slipped quietly into the bedroom and paused at the threshold.

"I'm awake." Cora said.

He went and sat gingerly on the bed.

"I'm so sorry Robert. So stupid of me to fall like that."

"The only thing that matters is that you are all right."

"That's not true."

"Then, the most important thing is that you are all right."

"It was your...our...last chance to have a son."

"I have the girls, and I have you. That is quite enough for any man to be blessed with. You should rest now. Clarkson is coming back later this evening to check on you."

He started to get up.

"Don't go."

"Alright."

As bidden, Branson picked Dr. Clarkson up at 10 pm and brought him back to Downton. Mary escorted the doctor to the bedroom. They entered quietly in case Cora was sleeping.

"Oh! exclaimed Mary. But so softly it did not wake her mother curled under the covers...or her father...by her side, sleeping on top of the covers, his arm protectively over her.

* * *

1918

She reached for his hand.

"We're all right, aren't we Robert?"

"Of course we are."

"Only I know I got so caught up in everything, I think I neglected you and if I did I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize to me."

"Come lay down beside me."

"Cora- really…"

"Just for a little while. Until I fall asleep."

Robert sighed, slipped off his shoes and lay down on the bed.

Cora took his hand again and fell asleep almost immediately.

Robert did not sleep; his mind whirled with several different varieties of guilt and a deep sense of loss.

But when he heard the door crack open, he closed his eyes and pretended to sleep.

"Really!", Sybil said softly.

* * *

1926

Cora clutched the blanket she had been given more tightly around her shoulders. It was not especially cold in the hospital room, but she shivered anyway.

Robert's eyes fluttered open.

"You're here," he said hoarsely.

"Of course," she said as she rose to lean over him. She dabbed at his dried lips with a moist cloth. "Dr. Clarkson said you can't have any water for a while yet, so I am afraid this is the best I can offer. How do you feel?"

"Awful. What happened? I only remember blood. The taste of blood." Robert shuddered slightly.

"Well, your ulcer burst pretty spectacularly over the dinner table and they brought you here and Dr. Clarkson operated on you and he says that you are going to be just fine. But you will have to rest and it will take awhile to recover. So you must be patient. "

Robert sighed…and immediately grimaced, as the stitches in his side made their presence known.

"What time is it? How long have I been here?"

"Oh, I don't know," said Cora. "It must be getting on to dawn by now. Maybe later. But I am afraid I have rather lost track. The nurse will be back soon. We can ask her."

"You look very tired."

"Well, you don't look so wonderful yourself."

"Really, you should go and get some rest. I will be well looked after here."

"No, I am not going anywhere. Not for a while yet."

Robert sighed...and winced again. But then managed a small smile.

"Well, if you are determined to stay, don't stay way over there. Come lie next to me."

Cora raised he eyebrows in mock alarm.

"Robert, REALLY! This is a hospital! And a hospital bed!"

"My hospital. My bed. Please. I will rest better."

With a sigh of her own, Cora crossed over to the other side of the narrow bed and lay down on top of the covers as gently as she could. She pulled her blanket over both of them and stroked his face gently.

"That's better," whispered Robert, "much better."

"Yes," Cora agreed.

Mary returned to the hospital with clothes for Cora and a small valise that Bates had packed for Robert. A weary looking Dr. Clarkson met her outside Robert's room. "The nurse said he was resting comfortably, but I couldn't persuade you mother to leave. Hopefully, you will have better luck. She needs her rest."

The two entered the room. "Well, honestly," said Mary with half a laugh, "they are incorrigible."

"Yes", Clarkson agreed. "And very, very blessed."


End file.
